Natural health products and health supplements are becoming increasingly popular. They can be used to help individuals live longer and lead more active lives. D-Glucurono-γ-lactone (also named glucurono-3,6-lactone) (“GGL”) is an example of a health supplement that may have positive health benefits. GGL is believed to have a number of positive health effects, including: promoting joint health, providing an anti-inflammatory effect for the skin, lowering abnormally high plasma concentrations of cholesterol or triglycerides, improving bone marrow health, and helping digestion. Additionally, GGL is believed to have synergistic effects with glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate, other popular health supplements.
Currently, GGL is typically produced by a process involving the nitric acid oxidation of starch. This process may use up to 0.5 kg of concentrated nitric acid per kg of GGL produced. Therefore, the nitric acid process has significant associated environmental and safety risks. The production process has a high environmental impact due to the use of the concentrated nitric acid, as well as the waste streams generated by the production process. Additionally, the use of concentrated nitric acid poses significant health and safety issues for workers, often requiring extensive precautionary measures.
There exists a need for a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective method for the production of GGL.